In the past there has been a distinct desire to be able to accurately measure the volume of certain areas of the skin surface such as an open cavity or crater-type wound which was created by the removal of a substantial amount of flesh and underlying muscle tissue or fatty material. There has been a need to accurately determine the volume of these wounds to determine if there was proper granulization of the flesh and underlying muscle and if proper healing was taking place.
In cases where there are the above described wounds, the healing process is long. The changes in the wound from day-to-day appear minimal. However, if there is an accurate means by which to measure the wound volume at a specific point in time, there can be a determination whether the proper granulization was taking place to effect healing.
In the past there has been no specific apparatus and method for using same to be able to properly calculate the volume of an open wound of the type previously described. As such, doctors and medical personnel had to guess at the amount of progress that was taking place for the healing of the wound.
There are certain prior art apparatuses which may be utilized to determine dimensions of certain segments of the body's surface. For example, the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,752 (Kaufmann) discloses an apparatus which is capable of measuring only the depth of a segment of the skin surface in relation to the surface of the abdomen. The apparatus is particularly suitable for determining the percentage of fat in a human body. The '752 apparatus could not be utilized to derive the measurements needed to determine the volume of a crater-type wound. That is, that apparatus would not be capable of measuring the depth of the wound in relation to the length and width of the surface opening of the wound to give the measurements needed for determining the volume of the wound. The apparatus of the present invention solves this problem.
Another prior art apparatus used to measure certain dimensions of the skin is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,998 (Spears). The '998 apparatus is used to measure the two dimensional sides of a round tumor growth. From this estimate, a growth rate of tumor volume is estimated. The Spears method is quite limited in scope and is of questionable reliability in estimating volumes and growth rates of tumors. Unlike the Spears apparatus, the present apparatus is more sensitive to irregularly shaped structures (not just round tumors), and since three-dimensional measurements are given, a much more accurate estimate of the structure's volume can be obtained. The Spears apparatus is unable to measure either height or depth of a surface area.
Still another apparatus which may have some applicability in the area of measuring the dimensions of certain surface areas is taught is U.S. Pat. No. 1,373,367 (Summers). The device of '367 patent is able to find the exact center of a square or circular segment of the body's surface which has a flat surface. Perhaps the Summers device, with the proper mathematical formula, could be utilized to measure the area of a flat square or circle. Again, and like the Spears apparatus and, to a lesser extent, the Kaufmann apparatus, the Summers device would have very little, if any, use in determining the dimensions of an irregular-shaped surface, and in no event would this device be able to supply a three-dimensional measurement. The Summers device does not at all appear to be suitable for measuring skin surfaces on the human body.
The present invention overcomes these problems and provides an apparatus and method for using same to be able to accurately determine not only the volume of a crater-type wound and be able to monitor the granulization process in the course of healing, but to determine the volume of other deformed areas on the skin surface such as hematomas.